Story+2000-06-22+New+York+City,+NY

´´(sings ´Take Me to the River’) That´s right....that´s right....that´s where I wanna go tonight ...I wanna go on a pilgrimage....I wanna go on a journey tonight....I wanna find that river, that river of life.....I wanna go on a pilgrimage for that river of love....where you can go and be sanctified....I wanna find that river of faith....and that river of hope..... I wanna find that river of transformation.....where you can go and you can change yourself....I wanna find that river of resurrection where everybody gets a second chance.....I wanna find that river of understanding....I wanna find that river of sexual healing....let the healing begin, girls, that´s right (chuckles)....that´s where I wanna go tonight and that river of joy and of happiness .... tonight that´s where I wanna go.....and what I wanna know now is are you ready to go with me ? (cheers) I said are you ready to go with me ? (cheers)....because I need to go with you .....because I can’t get there by myself....you can´t get to those things by yourself, that´s why we´re here tonight and that´s why tonight I wanna throw, I wanna throw a rock and roll baptism....a rock and roll exorcism.....a rock and roll bar mitzvah....(?) and I wanna wash myself in those waters and set myself free....but once I stood as a young man one evening before a dark grove of trees and just like a little child I was frightened to pass through those trees even though I knew on the other side the river of life was waiting....there were no fucking cellphones either ! (chuckles)....and that cold beer was sold at a reasonable price.... but I couldn´t get there ´cause I was paralyzed....and then a gypsy woman called me onward and she said ´Son, what you´ve got to understand is, what´s your line ? (?) music, what you need then, what you´ve got to understand is you need some help, what you need is you need a band....oh, and not just any band´, that´s why tonight here in Madison Square Garden in New York City I wanna introduce Professor Roy Bittan on the piano.....on the guitar, the Minister of faith and friendship, keeper of all that is righteous and star of the ´Sopranos´-television show....Little Steven Van Zandt....stand with me, Brother, at the riverside....the foundation of the E Street nation, Mr.Garry W.Tallent.... the man that brings the power night after night after night after night after night, the star of Late Night Television, the Mighty, Mighty, Mighty, Mighty, Mighty Max Weinberg.....on the guitar, the Secretary of heart and spirit, Godfather of the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren.....on the organ, a man of mystery, Minister of all things unfathomable on E Street, on the organ B-3 and accordion, Brother Dan Federici....that´s right....and now to the side we´ve got the First Lady of Love, come on baby, sing (Patti sings ´Rumble Doll´) the First Lady of love, Miss Patti Scialfa, on the guitar and vocals.....thank you, baby, thank you ....and now last but not least....last but not least....oh my Lord !....I´m talking to you tonight about the Minister of soul, the Secretary of brotherhood, the Socrates of the saxophone....do I have to say his name ? ....do I have to say his name ?....say who ? ...say who ?....say who ?....say who ? .... say who ?.... say who ? .... say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?.....”
 * 22.06.00 New York City, NY, middle of ´Tenth Avenue Freeze Out´**

´´Gonna do this tonight for the folks from New York Cares that are with us in the house ... they´re a volunteer-service organization here in New York City...they mobilise 2,000 volunteers each month....and they work on projects at school and at social service agencies, they feed the hungry, they tutor children....they assist people living with AIDS, they help homeless families, they´re here helping the struggling citizens of New York (?), they´re called New York Cares, they´ll be out in the lobby with us tonight, stop by, please check ´em out....they could use your time and your support, gonna do this for them....”
 * 22.06.00 New York City, NY, intro to ´The Ghost of Tom Joad´**

´´New York City !....New York City !...but everywhere I´ve gone, I´ve seen people lost in confusion....I´ve seen people lost on the streets of the concrete jungle....I´ve seen people lost in the wilderness...I´ve seen people lost on the subway in their loneliness.... I´ve seen people lost in envy over the Jersey Devils winning the Stanley Cup....I´ve seen people lost....at the Statue of Liberty which is actually in New Jersey....I´ve seen people lost in the New York Giants memorabilia, who, come to think of it, actually play in New Jersey....I´ve seen people lost on the strains of the theme song ´New York, New York´ which, come to think of it, was actually sung by a man from New Jersey....I´ve seen people lost in bitterness but that´s alright because tonight I´m here on an ambassadorial mission....if you´re downhearted, disgusted, dispossessed, downsized, stigmatized, retropsychedelized, Pokemonized....I´ve come across the river tonight, I´ve come across the river with one purpose : I wanna re-educate you, resuscitate you, regenerate you, recombobulate you, reconfiscate you, reindoctrinate you, re, re, resexualate you .... rededicate you, reliberate you with the power and the glory, with the promise, with the majesty, with the mystery....with the ministry of rock and roll....with the ministry of rock and roll !....now, unlike my competitors, I shall not, I will not, I cannot promise you life everlasting ....but I can promise you life.....right now ! ....and all you gotta do is raise your hand and say ´I´....”‘
 * 22.06.00 New York City, NY, middle of ´Light of Day´**

//Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//